Moonlight in the Summer
by Joanna-NK
Summary: Sequel to: Sunlight in the Winter. A happy birthday party for Mai...or maybe not? Rated T for safety.
1. Chapter 1

Well, hello minna-san~, How are you?

I'm back with a little 2-shots MaiNat story since Mai-chan's birthday is here! Hooray!

But let's see... What are they planning for real?

hehehe~

* * *

**Disclaimer: I don't own Mai-HiME...Damn~~~**

* * *

"Hey Mutt, do you have anything to drink? I'm thirsty," Nao said as she was lying on the couch with the game controller in hand.

"Well, yeah..." replied the bluenette, who was sitting idle on her armchair

"Go fetch it, then!"

"As if...I ain't moving an inch from this armchair and the _current," _she placed her arms behind her head and closed her eyes, enjoying the chilly air coming for the A.C

"Are you serious, Mutt? It's your apartment, you should bring me something!"

"Oh what are you talking about? You're like my sister and it's like you live here, so..." Natsuki said with a smirk on her face.

"Argh fine! I'm going," she pressed the button for the game to pause and she was about to get up when Natsuki spoke.

"Oh bring something for me too, with extra ice cubes!"

"As if! We're gonna settle this!" The redhead said as she pulled a coin from her pocket. "Heads or tails?

"Tails," she flipped the coin into the air and let it fall to the ground.

"Haha! Off you go!" Said the navy-blue haired girl victoriously as she saw that the coin was tails.

"Darn it! I'm not going!" Nao replied angrily as she sat down on the couch again.

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

"Really guys, very mature of you," Mai came in with two glasses of ice-cold tea.

"Hey, don't look at me; you know I can't stand the heat," the bluenette said as her girlfriend handed over her glass and sat on the armchair next to Natsuki.

"Yeah right...I wonder how you'll handle the beach tomorrow," the oranged-haired girl wondered.

"I'll handle it, don't worry," the biker replied somewhat coldly and Mai was taken by surprised.

"I'd like to see that!" Nao mockingly said.

"Shut up, Spider!"

"What's that?" Nao yelled and glared daggers at her "sister".

"You two, stop! I don't want the apartment to be like it was run through by a tornado when I get back!" Mai cut in.

"Where are you going?" Nao turned to look at the girl.

"I'm going to do some shopping with Mikoto."

"Wasn't she sleeping somewhere?" Asked Natsuki as she was playing with her straw.

"She woke up an hour ago and we were both in the kitchen, if you two hadn't be lazying in here you would have noticed!"

"Natsuki, you've been closed in here a whole week! Why don't you two go for a walk or something?"

"No, thanks," she replied again with the same way she replied before and Mai stood there, stunned.

"W-Well...see you two later," she said a moment later when she saw Mikoto waiting by the door.

When the door of the apartment closed, Natsuki ran to the door and stuck her ear close to it so she could hear.

"Ok, she's down the elevator," she said and went back to take her cellphone from the armchair.

"So, did you call everyone?" She asked as she walked to her bedroom, Nao following close behind.

"Yes, although Akira and Takumi are in Kyoto, so they're not gonna make it," replied the shorter girl.

"Well, I know, I spoke to him when he called Mai this week," Natsuki murmured and walked to her drawers.

She unlocked one of the drawers and started searching inside of it. "And is everything alright with Suzushiro's villa? We can do the party there, right?"

"You know, I went through Hell to manage this but thank God Yukino is an understandable person. I had to get to her to convince Haruka," she had her phone on her hand and was texting a message to her old roommate. "Chie and Aoi are already there, preparing."

"Ok then, everything is set out," the older girl said as she pulled out something from the drawer and placed it in her pocket.

"Yeah, you own me a big favor after all this," said the redhead, smirking at her best friend.

"I know but I'm really thankful for what you did," the bluenette moved closer to the younger girl and hugged her tightly.

"Ewwww! Move, move! No emotional huggies and stuff. I have a pride you know!" Nao said, struggling.

"Shut up."

* * *

After long hours of walking around and buying things for tomorrow's trip, Mai and Mikoto were going back, both eating some ice-cream by Mikoto's request.

"So, Mikoto?" The older girl tried to start a conversation with the younger girl and hopefully get some information out of her because she had a bad feeling that everyone, even Natsuki had forgotten her birthday.

After all these years together, or maybe it was all in her mind, they just wanted to keep it a secret. _'Maybe..' _ she thought bitterly, remembering Natsuki's cold replies.

"Hm?" The cat-like girl said absentmindedly

"Do you know about any plans tomorrow?"

"Plans?" The black-haired girl turned to her, confused.

"Yeah, you know, if the others are planning anything...?" Mai asked awkwardly.

"Hm...I don't know..." Mai sighed. It was as she thought. But after a couple of minutes, Mikoto shouted happily.

"Oh yeah! Nao said something about a party!"

"Party!" The orange-haired girl shouted too in surprise. "What kind of party?"

"With cake and lots of food!" Mai facepalmed. _'It's really hopeless...'_

_

* * *

_

They reached the building were Natsuki's apartment was when the sun was almost down. Well, more like Mai and Natsuki's apartment, since she had been living here for five months. Since the new year's night it took Natsuki a whole month of begging to convince Mai to leave the dorms and move in with her, and they had spent five whole, happy months.

And now that her birthday was here, Natsuki didn't seem to even remembered it. She had been idle, sitting in the apartment for a week and more and she was also acting cold sometimes. But now that Mikoto said about a party, that means that the others might have prepared something. She didn't care at all if they didn't throw a party for her...'_But do you remember my birthday, Natsu-chin?'_

They got inside and entered the elevator were Mai hit the button to the seventh floor. Mikoto had a happy smile plastered on her face. '_Well, more than the usual,'_ Mai thought.

When they reached the seventh floor and the elevator doors opened, Nao stormed in and linked arms with Mikoto.

"We're leaving. Go get some rest Mai, because we'll get up early tomorrow."

"Oh, O-Ok," Mai said, looking at them in susprise till the doors closed. She shrugged her shoulders and got to the apartment door, pulling her keys out.

* * *

"So did you told her what we were saying?" The redhead asked coyly.

"Hm!" Mikoto shrugged closer to her girlfriend.

"Well done," she said and rustled the other girl's hair. She pulled out her cellphone and wrote a quick text message.

"So what would you like me to do for you?" She said with a smug grin on her face.

"Ramen..." She raised her head and grinned. "...And maybe a kiss."

"Hehe, I guess we have some time for ramen," she said and leaned towards the other girl's lips when the elevator hit the first floor.

* * *

The apartment was completely covered in darkness when Mai entered. _'Where is she?'_

"Natsuki?" She called out as she walked through the darkness.

"Mmhere," came a muffled response from their bedroom. Mai walked to the room and entered. She saw the navy-blue haired girl hugging her pillow as she always did with her. Also the biker was only in her underwear, also something common.

Mai smiled and started undressing to wear the shorts and t-shirt she was wearing as pyjamas. Natsuki didn't seem to even move.

When Mai finished dressing, she walked over to the bed and laid down next to Natsuki, who had her back turned to her. She just remained in silence for some minutes looking at the ceiling until she felt Natsuki turning around to look at her.

"You know, Mai? I shouldn't be telling you this right now, as it's supposed to be a surprise, but we are planing a big party tomorrow..." Mai's eyes widened in surprise and joy. _'So, she DOES remember after all!' _

"You know, it's nice but you shouldn't have..."

"What are you talking about? After all, it's been like a year since we last saw Midori!" Natsuki said.

"M-Midori's coming back?" Mai asked in surprise.

"Yeah, isn't it great?"

"Yeah...it is...So, the party tomorrow is for her?" Mai asked in a low tone.

"Of course, who else would it be for?" Natsuki said and turned her back on Mai again and hugged her pillow.

_'Yeah who else...'_

_

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_

Ok next chapter is coming out in 1 or 2 days so bear with me and show me your support by reviewing and telling me your opinion!

See Ya~


	2. Chapter 2

So here it is, the last part. Hope I didn't delayed it too much?

And thank you Major Mike Powell III for your beta services on the story :*

So it's all yours my readers~ Read it. XD

* * *

_'What should I do...?' _There was a music playing somewhere in the background. She focused on that and not in the torturing thoughts.

After a while, she started to comprehend the music. It was her cellphone. She blindly stretched her arm to the nightstand to grab it and without looking at it she answered the phone call.

"Mai! Where's Natsuki? She won't answer my calls. Are you two ready?" It was Nao on the other side of the line with a loud voice, hurting Mai's ears as she had just woken up.

"She's..." she reached her arm to the other side of the bed, only to feel it was empty. "...not here."

"What the heck? Where is she?" She yelled even louder.

Mai rose and looked around the room for any signs of her and then at the alarm clock. It was 9.13.

As soon as she saw this, she jumped off the bed almost falling, and after regaining her balance, she stormed to the closet to get dressed.

"Are you at the beach already?" She said, struggling with putting on her bikini top.

"No, we were delayed but we're almost there. Come and don't be late!" She yelled one more time and hung up. Mai put on her bikini bottoms and found some jeans shorts and a orange t-shirt to wear at the beach. She then stormed in the bathroom to brush her teeth and comb her messy hair. When she finished, she grabbed her backpack and run out of the room towards the kitchen.

"Nats-" She fell silent as she saw the bluenette with her head on the kitchen table beside some breakfast, apparently sleeping.

_'How is she still sleeping?'_ Mai thought. _'I was the one lying asleep for hours.' _Indeed, the orange-haired girl was torturing herself last night to figure what's going on with her girlfriend, the cold behavior towards her and everything.

But her thoughts couldn't stand in the way of a smile that crept onto her futures as she watched the bluenette's peaceful slumber. She slowly walked to her and bent down to her ear.

"Having a good nap, Natsu-chin?" She whispered gently.

"Hmmm..." Came the reply. Mai smiled even more and moved out of the way.

"Ehh!" The navy-blue haired girl snapped her head up and started looking around like she didn't recognize the place.

"What time is it?" She said in a trembling yet loud voice, thinking it was noon or even worse, afternoon.

"Don't worry, it's 9.30..." Natsuki sighed in relief after hearing the time.

"But still..." she added and looked at Mai, the same look she was giving the orange-haired girl every morning for as long she had moved in with her. Both fear and happiness mixed in that glance.

But after some seconds she looked at the breakfast she had prepared.

"I made you some sweet omelet...Since it's your favorite..." She said and looked away, something she always did every time she was blushing.

"Thank you, Natsu-chin," Mai said happily and walked over to give her a kiss on the forehead, making the color from her cheeks move to her entire face.

The bluenette coughed to avoid the eye contact and rose and went to leave the room.

"Ah Natsuki, Nao called. She said you wouldn't answer her calls," the orange-haired girl said as she sat down to the chair.

"Oh, Ok. Thanks," she replied and continued walking out of the kitchen.

Mai looked down on her plate with a sad smile.

_'Happy birthday, me...'_

* * *

It was 10.00 when the girls left the apartment and mounted Natsuki's bike. The trip to the beach took them forty-five minutes. When they were on the road by the shore, Mai leaned more toward Natsuki's head.

"Isn't that Haruka-san's villa?" Natsuki slowed down and turned to enter the big gate.

"Yep, the 25th or something," she parked the bike in the parking area and waited for Mai to get off and followed suit.

"I'm going inside, you go to the beach. Everyone is there already," she turned her back and walked toward the grand villa.

"But why ar-?"

"I just want to find out if everything's alright for Midori's welcome party," the bluenette cut her off. "I'll be there in a while," she kept walking until she disappeared from Mai's view. She jogged the rest of the road to the villa's right where the party was to take place. There was Chie, alongside Haruka, watching over the preparation the servants were doing.

"Hard working I see, dismissing the beach and staying here," the navy-blue haired said jokingly.

"And whose fault is that, Natsuki-kun?" Replied the black-haired girl with a grin, fixing her glasses.

Natsuki sweatdropped and nervously laughed.

"Yeah I know, I'm sorry."

"Don't be, it's something we also wanted to do," said Chie smiling. "Of course you know that you'll be arranging the next party -whoever it would be for- alone right?" The devilish grin came back onto Chie's futures.

"Hehe...I know," Natsuki rubbed the back of her head, feeling depressed.

"But you have some nerve Kuga, coming here late!" Roared the blonde. "After making me give my villa to outsiders by going to Yukino knowing that I don't want to dismiss her!"

"Don't you mean displease her?" Natsuki corrected her.

"That's what I said!" Natsuki and Chie rolled their eyes.

"Ok, Ok! I'm really thankful for what you did. I definitely owe you a big favor," the bluenette bowed in front of the blonde.

"Not to me. To Yukino," Haruka murmured, blushing and both Chie and Natsuki smiled.

The bluenette looked over to the stage the had been built and the big banner that read: "Welcome back, Midori!"

"Should we go to the beach? I mean, they almost finished and I think some girlfriends over there would be pretty angry," she chuckled and the other two sighed at the idea. As they were leaving, Natsuki turned one last time. _'Everything should be perfect now.'_

_

* * *

_

Mai was walking down the road that led to the beach. It wasn't far away as she could see their friends in the distance. Mai sighed. This would be the worst birthday ever. Not even her girlfriend remembered it! And all this strange behavior was driving her crazy. '_Maybe Natsuki wants to-'_ her cellphone started vibrating and she reached down, fishing it from her pocket. Seeing the number she quickly pressed the button to reply.

"Takumi!"

"_Happy birthday, onee-chan!"_ Mai smiled.

"Thank you, Takumi."

"_Sorry for not being there for your birthday. But be sure to expect a giant gift!"_ He exclaimed happily.

"Oh, you don't have to, Takumi."

"_You don't have a say in this onee-chan."_

"Ok Ok...So, how is your vacation with Akira-chan?"

"_Great! We're just getting ready to go to the beach. Oh, she says happy birthday to you."_

"Thank her for me."

" _I will. Oh! That reminds me: aren't you at the beach, too?"_

"Well yeah, I'm almost there."

"_Then I'll leave you to have fun. I'll call you tomorrow, ne?"_

"Alright Takumi, have fun too," and with that, they hung up. Mai had a few meters more till reaching her group of friends. Naturally, Mikoto was the first to notice her as she swam back to the shore.

"Mai~!" She shouted and everyone turned in time to see her right beside them.

"Mai-chan~!" Aoi cried out as she got up and tackled Mai with a bear-hug. "It's been years!" The orange-haired girl tried to break free.

"It's just been four days from the last day of school, Aoi," she breathed out and smiled.

"Hehe~" The brunette smiled mischievously and freed Mai. She took a look around at their friends. Surely, they were all here: Aoi, Yukino and Miyu with Alyssa-chan, Yayoi, Shiho and Akane with Kazu-kun. But still, Chie, Haruka and Nao were missing. She looked around and spotted Nao floating in the water just before she was tackled again but this time from Mikoto.

_'I guess, we will have fun.'_

* * *

By the time the three girls reached their friends, they already had split up, playing beach volleyball. They joined in and played an eight vs eight match for a great amount of time. By the end, Nao's team, consisting of Mikoto, Mai, Miyu and Alyssa - who insisted she would play good despite her height, and she did so - Aoi, Yayoi and Akane won.

Nao was annoying to death for Natsuki, Haruka and Chie, as she was making fun of them. That resulted to hunting her down like an animal throughout the beach and the ocean.

Everyone was having a great time, including Mai, although she was a little sad because she had exchanged few-to-no words with Natsuki all morning and noon.

After all the time in the beach, they went back to villa to eat and prepare for the upcoming party. When they finished with their lunch, Haruka showed them around the huge mansion and to their rooms that they'd be staying in for the night. Of course, she had prepared rooms with double-beds for the couples and Natsuki and Mai got neighboring rooms with Nao and Mikoto. The latter, ditching their room, stormed into Natsuki and Mai's and fell to the bed, exhausted.

"You guys are boring," said the redhead, falling onto the bed followed by Mikoto. The bluenette just groaned and kept looking at the ceiling. The black-haired girl moved and hugged Mai, burying her face in her chest as she was used to do back when they were roommates. Natsuki saw that with the corner of her eye and Nao didn't miss the look on Natsuki's face. She opened her arms and said.

"C'mere~ I'll cuddle you~" She pursed her lips as if to kiss her. A vein popped on Natsuki's forehead and she grabbed the nearest thing she could: the pillow. It hit its mark, hard.

"You shouldn't have done that, Kuga!" She said, removing the pillow from her face. She threw the pillow back with much greater force. And that's how the pillow fight started between them and soon joined by Mikoto and Mai, no matter how tired they were.

* * *

It was 20.30 by the time they went down to the party area. Everyone was there, chatting, drinking non-alcoholic drinks - "That will change soon," Nao informed them with a grin - and waiting for the guests to come.

"What time is Midori-chan going to come?" Asked the orange-haired girl.

"Youko-sensei said that she will bring her in an hour or so," replied Nao. "Well, I'm off," she said and gave a Mikoto a peck on the lips before leaving in Chie's direction.

"I-I'm going to check some things too," the biker girl murmured awkwardly and looked at Mai's eyes before turning and leaving towards the stage. Mai sighed.

"What's wrong, Mai?" The younger girl next to her asked, concerned.

"Nothing, don't worry yourself," she said half-heartedly. "So, want to check out the food?" She tried to put as much cheerfulness in her voice as she could. Mikoto noticed that it was fake, but she let it slide.

"Hm!" She replied happily.

They walked around the tables, Mikoto eating whatever she would like and Mai talking to everyone she would meet.

As the time was passing, more guests were appearing. Headmaster Fumi came along with Sakomizu-sensei and a lot of other teachers of the academy. Also, many classmates from Mai's first year, which Midori was homeroom teacher of, arrived and united with the other students and teachers.

It was getting dark as the moon went upward in the sky and torches were lighted around the place with some lights from the mini-stage that were overthrowing the faint moonlight.

Suddenly, Nao got up on the stage and everyone turned their attention to her as she fixed the microphone.

"Youko-sensei informed us that she is reaching the villa with Midori-chan. We agreed that she'll come blindfolded in here, so I'm asking you: when she's be here, keep quiet and bring her in front of the stage. The rest is up to us," chatter erupted from the crowd and the waiting started.

Mai didn't see Natsuki at all so she walked with Mikoto near the stage and met up with everyone so as to greet Midori when she arrived.

Not long after, the sound of a car engine was heard and everyone turned to look at Youko's car. When the doors opened Youko went to drag Midori out, who was whining.

"C'mon Youko! Where are we goinggg~?"

"Stay quiet, we're almost there!" Youko said as she reached the people around the stage.

"It kinda feels creepy here, Youko. Can I pull this off?" The nurse, clearly on the edge but also happy for her coming back, pushed Midori in front of the stage. Nao was standing there holding something like a rope.

"Pull it off now, Midori," said Youko and moved beside her. Midori and Nao simultaneously pulled the blindfold and the rope respectively, and some stage lights fell exactly where Midori was standing and one light illuminating the banner with the "Welcome back, Midori!" writing. And then, in one voice, everyone shouted: "Welcome back home, Midori!"

Midori was speechless and with stars in her eyes. She looked around and then sprinted and hopped onto the stage, were she was greeted by a smirking Nao. Mai noticed that Nao grabbed another rope but she changed her attention to Midori, who had grabbed the mic and was testing it.

"I guess this thing will be useful for karaoke!" She said cheerfully and everyone laughed with the idea.

"So as you see your favorite teacher is back from her archaeologist researches and hopefully will be just a homeroom teacher if, of course, our wonderful director hires me back~!" Midori directed her gaze at Fumi with a pleading puppy look and everyone laughed again at her antics.

"But the important thing tonight: I'm glad that my students had this idea and pulled off this party. I guess I taught them well, haven't I? You, of course, forgot the fog thingy, my trademark, but who cares?" She lifted her shoulders and chuckled.

_'Thank god, Midori-chan hasn't changed at all,'_ Mai thought happily.

"So, anyway! The important thing about this party is that: you have. Been. Fooled~" She emphasized the last word with a grin plastered on her face. "And when I'm saying you~, I mean none other than my beloved students - that by the way, is scatterbrained right now and I supposed all day long - Tokiha Mai-chan!" The stage light fell upon Mai, who was staring with wide-open her eyes and mouth toward the stage.

"Did ya honestly believe that your friends and your girlfriend would forget your birthday? Natsuki was ready to fly herself and get me to come here!"

"So Mai-chan~" at that time Nao pulled the other rope and a banner fell, exactly above Midori's welcoming one, writing "Happy Birthday Mai!"

"~Happy birthday~!" Came Midori's voice and then, like echo, so did everyone else's.

Mai was on the verge of tears. Tears of happiness, of course. She let them fall as all her friends came and hugged her simultaneously. _'How could I doubt my friends and Natsuki?' _She saw Midori jumping off the stage and, grabbing the birthday cake from a poor maid who almost had a heart attack, she came closer to Mai to blow out the candles.

"Be sure to make a wish, Mai-chan," Mai looked around but couldn't find Natsuki. She focused back at the cake.

_'I just wish that we will always be together with everyone...and with you.' S_he wished silently and blew out the candles, erupting cheers and clapping of hands.

Midori gave the cake to Youko and looked around.

"Where are the beers~? I'm thirsty here!" Everyone around her laughed and Mai wiped her tears, chuckling, too. She looked around and saw a flash of navy-blue heading toward the gate.

"Cake~!" She heard from near her and turned to see Mikoto following Youko to the table with the cake on hand. Near there was Nao and the orange-haired girl walked over to her.

"So, you prepared all this?" She smiled at her fellow red-head.

"Well mostly...everyone helped," she looked up at Mai. "Well, I couldn't disobey the Mutt's orders. She just had to turn into a lazy-bones to throw you off, while she was pulling the strings" she winked at Mai and walked off to meet with her girlfriend before she attacked the cake. The orange-haired girl smiled and walked off towards the gate where she had seen Natsuki.

Walking down the road to the beach where Natsuki was sitting in front of the ocean, illuminated by the moonlight, Mai couldn't help but to admire the picture. Her insides were bouncing with joy caused by the actions of her girlfriend and her friends.

She reached the bluenette and sat down beside her, removing her sandals as Natsuki had done with her shoes, so as not to get wet. Both girls glances were fixed on the full moon over the sea. Mai had a wide smile on her futures but Natsuki's face was unemotional.

After a minute, Mai looked at the girl beside her and saw her face. Her smile fell from her face as the bad feelings from all these days were getting back.

"You want to break up, right?" The orange-haired girl said out of nowhere with a hurt voice, taking the bluenette by surprise.

"What the Hell? Of course not!" She snapped and looked directly into Mai's lavender eyes.

"Then why have you been acting this way?" Some tears were gathering in her eyes and threatened to fall. "And I don't mean the laziness! I mean, the cold replies and...an-!" she was cut off as Natsuki gently took her head in her arms and brought her to her chest. Mai let the tears fall free now as she circled her arms around Natsuki's waist.

"I guess some of it was part of the plan too...If I was the Natsuki I have been these months, you would have seen right through it all. So I chose to act as good ol' Natsuki," she chuckled awkwardly and started rubbing Mai's back, soothing her.

"And the rest of it?" She questioned, curious. Natsuki pulled away and looked again into Mai's eyes.

"I've been thinking a lot and-" She paused and placed her hands on her pockets. "That those months have been the greatest of my life...And I know that we are still high-school students and that talk is big but, I don't want to lose you in the end...So..." some tears were gathering in her eyes too.

"Look. Every morning I wake up and when I see you I'm afraid that you'll just walk away and leave me. But then, I remember what we have and I'm happy. So...please stay with me forever..." As she said those words, she pulled her right hand out of the pocket. A golden chain was snaked around it and the chain had a golden round object with a flame engraved on it with a single dark red stone exactly in the middle. Mai's eyes widened as soon as she saw the object.

"In the end, I couldn't get anything less than a pure ruby for you," she chuckled and grabbed the two ends of the chain and put them around Mai's neck.

"B-But Nat-!" A fiery kiss silenced her words and both girls embraced each other and closed their eyes.

When they broke the kiss, Natsuki entwined her fingers with Mai's.

"Those who are blessed by rubies are granted with eternal life and deep love. So I'm asking you here, under the moonlight: Are we?" She looked into Mai's lavender eyes, her own filled with hope. The redhead smiled and replied...

"I'm pretty sure we are."

* * *

So that was it!~ I'm waiting your thoughts about it~

See ya~

Jo


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